Count Paris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Count Paris is a suitor of Juliet's. He is handsome, self-absorbed, and wealthy, and a kinsman of Prince Escalus. Paris makes his first appearance in Act I, Scene II, wherein he expresses his wish to make Juliet his wife and the mother of his children. Lord Capulet demurs, citing his daughter's young age as a reason and telling him to wait until she is more mature. All the same, he invites Paris to attend the ball the family is holding that evening and to attract Juliet's attention. However, he is a bit of a bystander in the play itself, unwittingly mixed up in the drama between the two families. His interest in Juliet is, thus, primarily based on her social standing and her family's vast wealth, in contrast to Romeo who loves her for her beauty. As far as appearance itself goes in Paris' case, he is described by the Nurse in Act I, Scene III as "a man of wax." His interest in Juliet's social standing and wealth, rather than interest in Juliet as a person, may imply that he is vain and egocentric, something that Juliet's parents don't quite catch.
Although Paris is not as developed as other characters in the play, he stands as a complication in the development of Romeo and Juliet's relationship. His love of Juliet stands as a counterpoint to Romeo's impetuous love. In Act V, Scene III, Paris visits the graveyard to quietly and privately mourn the loss of his would-be fiancée. He is eventually killed by Romeo during a swordfight in the same scene, and his dying wish is for Romeo to lay him next to Juliet, which Romeo does. This scene is often omitted from modern stage performances.
In Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, he is named "Dave Paris," and is played by Paul Rudd. His familial relationship with Escalus (called "Captain Escalus Prince") is removed entirely from the film, and Dave Paris is not stated as being a nobleman, but is rather a wealthy business magnate; throughout the film, he speaks in a conceited and pompous manner around Juliet and her father implying that (since the movie's setting is in modern times) he also wants to marry Juliet secondarily to further inflate his already-large ego.
[edit] References
- Romeo & Juliet - PinkMonkey.com
